Inside Yanqing's small courtyard.
Jingliu casually tossed the dismantled door panel onto the ground.
"My door!"
Yanqing shouted and hurriedly ran over to the damaged door panel.
The others were indifferent to his actions. Or rather, Yanqing was the only silly boy who hadn't realized the unusual atmosphere of the scene.
Kenta watched Jingliu approaching step by step and decided to say something to salvage the situation.
He carefully considered his wording and cautiously spoke.
"Jingliu, you know that I've only recovered a portion of my Remembrance. Regarding our past, a significant part of it is still blank for me, so could you wait a little longer?"
Kenta threw out what he considered a reasonable excuse, attempting to soothe the other party's anxious mood, but as expected—he failed.
"No."
Jingliu spoke, her voice calm.
"I have waited for a very long time... I won't wait anymore."
Her voice showed no emotional fluctuation, but Kenta could feel the heaviness contained within it.
'Am I being a little too distant toward her?'
Kenta began to reflect on himself.
Just as he was carefully reconsidering the matter, Fu Xuan, who had been neglected by the two, spoke up.
"Miss Jingliu..."
She raised her delicate eyebrows, a hint of displeasure in her expression.
"You are a criminal of the Xianzhou, and should have been escorted to Xuling. However, considering your merits in resisting Phantylia this time, the Alliance granted you leniency. But you should still be operating under the supervision of the Cloud Knights. Why are you here alone?"
Her words carried a hint of solemnity; this was how she usually handled official business.
"Oh, you mean that."
Jingliu's eyes, covered by a black veil, seemed to move slightly.
"Isn't that person over there also a Cloud Knight? And a Captain at that. What's wrong with me acting under his supervision?"
She gestured for Fu Xuan to look at Yanqing, who was checking his door nearby.
The young man, who was trying to reassemble his door, heard himself mentioned and immediately raised his head, looking bewildered.
"Me? I'm supposed to supervise Ancestor Jingliu? Is that true?"
Fu Xuan didn't dwell on the woman's statement but brought up another issue.
"Even if you say that, This Seat already has an appointment with Kenta."
She paused, then continued speaking.
"Miss Jingliu wouldn't fail to understand the concept of 'first come, first served', would she?"
"Heh."
Who knew that upon hearing this, Jingliu let out a scoff of contempt.
"First come, first served? Little one, back when Kenta and I were fighting the Abundance Blight on the battlefield, you probably hadn't even appeared in this world yet."
Her attitude remained cold as she spoke, but Fu Xuan could feel the contempt in her words.
"You! Don't twist the concept! This Seat is talking about the present!"
Seeing that the two were about to start arguing again, Kenta intervened in time to interrupt them.
"That's enough."
He reached out a hand and pressed it onto the head of the Pink Little Potato, signaling for her to stop talking first.
The effect was immediate. Fu Xuan instantly shut her mouth.
Next, Kenta turned his gaze toward Jingliu.
His eyes carried a hint of determination.
"Hey, Jingliu."
He suddenly called the woman's name.
"Hm? Have you made up your mind?"
Jingliu also seemed to sense the seriousness in the man's words. She removed her black veil, and their two pairs of magnificent red eyes met across the space.
"As long as I agree to your terms, as long as I repay everything I owe you from the past millennium, you will—you will interact with me normally afterward, right?"
Kenta spoke again.
"Hm? Wait, Kenta, don't..."
Fu Xuan, hearing this, couldn't sit still, but before she could finish speaking, Kenta rubbed her head again, and she instantly fell silent.
Jingliu was slightly surprised by the other party's sudden enlightenment. She raised an eyebrow, failing to notice that her own mood had lightened considerably.
"What you propose, I can agree to."
Her voice remained cold, and she promised Kenta that after this one bout of madness, she would return to a normal mode of interaction with him.
After saying this, Jingliu said nothing more.
"Wait!"
Suddenly, Kenta shouted.
Jingliu's eyes moved when she heard the sound.
The man was currently lowering his head, his slightly long hair concealing his eyes, making it impossible to see his expression, until he slowly raised his head, revealing a very resolute profile.
"Daga, Kotowaru! (But I refuse!)"
Jingliu:
"..."
She said nothing, closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and waited for a good while before speaking indifferently.
"Reason."
Two simple words instantly created a powerful sense of oppression.
Kenta flashed an evil yet charming smile.
"The thing I, the Carefree Wanderer, like to do most is to say 'no' and refuse people when they think victory is within their grasp!"
That's what he said on the surface, but his true thoughts were:
'Oh, shut up. A millennium's worth? You actually said that? I refuse! I don't know if anything bad will happen if you corner me every day—but the room I enter with you will definitely have something bad happen, alright?'
Jingliu heard Kenta's refusal and stopped talking, instead directly drawing her sword.
'If the soft approach doesn't work, then I'll use the hard one.'
She thought to herself.
Kenta saw Jingliu's action and smiled confidently.
"Heh, I am now the Complete Dragon... cough, wait, no. I have now recovered my previous power. Do you think I can't defeat you?"
Jingliu curled her lip in a hint of mockery.
"What? Can you suppress your instinct and attack me now?"
But who knew that Kenta's face remained utterly fearless.
"Then let's give it a try."
The battle was about to erupt.
Fu Xuan and Yanqing watched the two who had suddenly started fighting, looking bewildered.
"Wait, don't fight fiercely in this junior's courtyard!"
Yanqing suddenly yelled, but clearly, the two could no longer stop.
---
At this moment, the two were engaged in a fierce battle.
But rather than a battle, it was more like Kenta was passively defending.
But he wasn't just defending—he was adding Trash Talk while defending.
"Hey, didn't you eat?"
"Hmph, come on, you're so weak!"
"Muda Muda Muda Muda, all your attacks are Muda!"
Jingliu:
"..."
Every time she struck with a sword, Kenta would mock her. Indeed, the opponent still couldn't bring himself to strike her heavily, but the man's mouth was not governed by his body's instinct.
Kenta:
'Simple Trash Talk, ultimate enjoyment.'
Gradually, Jingliu's sword strikes became heavier, and her offensive grew fiercer.
Finally, she couldn't help but use her full strength, as it wouldn't pose much threat given Kenta's current power.
However, something unexpected happened.
The man not only didn't dodge but instead charged straight up and used his scabbard to meet the strike. But unlike his previous ease, Kenta was directly sent flying this time.
But that wasn't the end of it.
Kenta in mid-air suddenly clapped his hands forward. Instantly, a burst of searing fire erupted in front of him, and the resulting impact force sent him rapidly flying backward.
"Hahaha! You fell for it, Jingliu! This is my escape route!"
Jingliu had just reacted when Kenta had already vanished without a trace, leaving only that sentence hanging in the air.
Jingliu:
"..."
"Sigh."
She sighed helplessly and sheathed her sword again.
"Hm? Martial Ancestor, aren't you going to chase him?"
Yanqing asked, sounding confused.
"It matters not."
Jingliu put the black veil back over her eyes.
"I originally came here today to instruct you in swordsmanship. Running into Kenta was merely a pleasant surprise. If he fled, then let him flee. However..."
She turned her head in Yanqing's direction. The young man couldn't see her eyes, but he suddenly felt immense pressure.
"I haven't finished my swing yet. Since you are his junior, come and exchange a few moves with me."
Yanqing:
"..."